Wiener Symphoniker
The Wiener Symphoniker (Vienna Symphony Orchestra) is a mainstay in European orchestral music, having premiered works that have become standard repertoire in the orchestral world. While its older neighbor, the Wiener Philharmoniker, may get more attention, the Wiener Symphoniker has cemented its role as a world-class orchestra.
The Wiener Symphoniker was founded in 1900 as the Wiener Concertverein. The founder and first conductor of the orchestra was Ferdinand Löwe, who established the new orchestra to present more concerts to the citizenry and for the performance of new compositions. The orchestra's premiere concert took place at the Wiener Musikverein on October 30, 1900. Löwe, a student of Anton Bruckner's, led the Wiener Symphoniker in the premiere of Bruckner's ninth symphony in 1903. In 1913, the orchestra moved its performing venue to the newly opened Wiener Konzerthaus. Due to financial concerns following World War I, the orchestra merged with the Wiener Tonkünstlerorchester in 1919. Löwe served as chief conductor until 1925. He was followed by Otto Gottesmann and Wilhelm Furtwängler. In 1933, the orchestra was renamed the Wiener Symphoniker. Oswald Kabasta led the orchestra from 1934-1938. Under Kabasta, the orchestra embarked on its first international tour to England and Italy. In 1938, following the invasion of Austria, the orchestra was brought under municipal control and was used for propaganda during World War II. The orchestra was disbanded in September of 1944.
Following the war, the Wiener Symphoniker was re-established in 1945 and gave its first post-war concert in September under the leadership of Hans Swarowsky and Josef Krips. Since 1946, the orchestra has taken part in and been a major sponsor of the Bregenzer Festspiele. Herbert von Karajan (1950-1960) and Wolfgang Sawallisch (1960-1970) are credited most with the revival of the Viennese sound for which the Wiener Symphoniker is known. In 1962, the Theater an der Wien reopened, and the Wiener Symphoniker has since performed there for staged productions. Since Sawallisch, the chief conductors for the orchestra have included Carlo Maria Giulini (1973-1976), Gennady Rozhdestvensky (1981-1983), and Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos (1991-1996). Philippe Jordan became the chief conductor in 2014, with a contract running through 2021. In 2018, the Wiener Symphoniker announced Andrés Orozco-Estrada as its next chief conductor. Orozco-Estrada is set to take the baton in 2021. Among the illustrious names who have guest conducted the orchestra are Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta, and Claudio Abbado.
The Wiener Symphoniker can be heard on hundreds of albums on major labels such as Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI Classics, and Orfeo, among many others. Since 2012, the orchestra has also recorded for its own Wiener Symphoniker label, on which it has recorded works by composers such as Mahler, Bruckner, and Berlioz. Under Jordan, the orchestra has recorded a full cycle of Beethoven's symphonies. The first, Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3, was released in 2017. The final two individual albums of this cycle, Symphonies Nos. 6 & 8 and Symphony No. 9, as well as the complete cycle set, were released in 2019.
© Keith Finke /TiVo
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Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.5 (Live)
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Wiener Symphoniker, Carlo Maria Giulini
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 1982
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
LP Pure, Vol. 32: Klemperer Conducts Schumann & Chopin (Historical Recordings)
Guiomar Novaes, Wiener Symphoniker, Otto Klemperer
Classical - Released by Archiphon on 3 Feb 2017
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
José Carreras - Ave Maria; Panis Angelicus; Agnus Die; Hallelujah; Jesus, Joy Of Man's Desiring
José Carreras, Wiener Sängerknaben, Chorus Viennensis, Michael G. Gormley, Wiener Symphoniker, Uwe Christian Harrer
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Shostakovich: Symphonies No. 9 & No. 3
Eliahu Inbal, Wiener Symphoniker
Classical - Released by Denon on 1 Jan 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best of the Vienna Boys' Choir
Wiener Sängerknaben, Chorus Viennensis, Wiener Symphoniker, Wiener Kammerorchester, Wiener Volksoper Kammerorchester, Uwe Christian Harrer
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
L'Art de Ivry Gitlis : Concertos pour violon
Ivry Gitlis, Wiener Symphoniker, Heinrich Hollreiser, Jascha Horenstein
Classical - Released by Brilliant Classics on 1 Jun 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Johann Strauss
Wiener Symphoniker, Manfred Honeck
Classical - Released by Wiener Symphoniker on 25 Nov 2016
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Liszt: Piano Concertos Nos.1 & 2 · Les Préludes S.97 · Hungarian Rhapsody No.2
Lazar Berman, Wiener Symphoniker, Carlo Maria Giulini, Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra, Giuseppe Sinopoli
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 5 "Emperor" & Rondo, WoO 6 (1995 Remastered Version)
Alfred Brendel, Vienna Volksoper Orchestra, Wiener Symphoniker, Heinz Wallberg, Zubin Mehta
Concertos - Released by Vox on 28 Jul 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Haydn, J.: Die Jahreszeiten Hob. XXI:3 (2 CDs)
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Hamburg on 1 Jan 1967
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58 & Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73 "Emperor" ((Remastered 1993))
Guiomar Novaes, Wiener Symphoniker, Otto Klemperer, Bamberger Symphoniker, Jonel Perlea
Classical - Released by Vox on 14 Jul 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 5
Philippe Jordan, Wiener Symphoniker
Classical - Released by Wiener Symphoniker on 19 Jan 2018
Gramophone Editor's Choice24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Liszt: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 / Venezia e Napoli
Lazar Berman, Wiener Symphoniker, Carlo Maria Giulini
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Danses hongroises Nos. 5 & 6 - Grieg: Danse d'Anitra, extraite de Peer Gynt - Berlioz: Ballet des sylphes, extrait de La damnation de Faust (Mono Version)
Rudolf Moralt, Wiener Symphoniker
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1959
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Symphonies
Wiener Symphoniker, Philippe Jordan
Classical - Released by Wiener Symphoniker on 1 Nov 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Karel Ančerl – The Philips Recordings
Karel Ancerl, Wiener Symphoniker
Classical - Released by Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. on 1 Jan 1958
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Borgström & Shostakovich: Violin Concertos
Eldbjørg Hemsing, Wiener Symphoniker, Olari Elts
Classical - Released by BIS on 2 Mar 2018
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: The Symphonies
Wiener Symphoniker, Wolfgang Sawallisch
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven / Rubinstein
Wiener Symphoniker, Robert Wagner, Felicja Blumental
Classical - Released by Brana Records on 23 May 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Valses, polkas & marches favorites
Vienna Johann Strauss Orchestra, Wiener Symphoniker, Willi Boskovsky
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 4 Apr 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 7 (Live)
Wiener Symphoniker, Philippe Jordan
Symphonies - Released by Wiener Symphoniker on 21 Sep 2018
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo